Modular head assembly for an electric axle

Abstract

A modular electric axle head assembly for a vehicle, including a gear assembly including a gear assembly housing defining a hollow portion therein, a first gear shaft having a first gear, a second gear shaft having a second gear and a third gear, wherein at least a portion of the second gear is drivingly connected to the first gear and the third gear, and at least a portion of the gear assembly is disposed within the hollow portion of the gear assembly housing; a motor assembly having an output shaft that is drivingly connected to at least a portion of the gear assembly; and a first mounting assembly including a portion integrally connected to the modular electric head assembly and a portion integrally connected to a support member of the vehicle, wherein at least a portion of the third gear is drivingly connected to a pair of drive shafts.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising:
 a modular electric axle head assembly comprising:
 a gear assembly including a gear assembly housing defining a hollow portion therein, a first gear shaft having a first gear; a second gear shaft having a second gear and a third gear, wherein at least a portion of the second gear is drivingly connected to the first gear and the third gear, and wherein the gear assembly is disposed at least partially within the hollow portion of the gear assembly housing; and 
 a motor assembly having a motor output shaft that is drivingly connected to at least a portion of the gear assembly; and 
 
 a first mounting assembly including a portion integrally connected to the modular electric axle head assembly and a portion integrally connected to a support member of the motor vehicle, and the portion of the first mounting assembly integrally connected to the modular electric axle head assembly is connected to a gear housing cover, 
 wherein at least a portion of the third gear of the gear assembly is drivingly connected to a pair of drive shafts. 
 
     
     
       2. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the portion of the first mounting assembly integrally connected to the modular electric axle head assembly is connected to the motor assembly. 
     
     
       3. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the portion of the first mounting assembly integrally connected to the modular electric axle head assembly is connected to the gear assembly housing. 
     
     
       4. The assembly of  claim 3 , further comprising a second mounting assembly including a first portion integrally connected to the gear assembly housing and a second portion integrally connected to a second support member of the motor vehicle, wherein the second mounting assembly is positioned on one end of the gear assembly housing assembly and the first mounting assembly is positioned on an opposite end of the gear assembly housing. 
     
     
       5. The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first gear has a plurality of first gear teeth; wherein the second gear has a plurality of second gear teeth; wherein the third gear has a plurality of third gear teeth; and wherein the plurality of first gear teeth, the plurality of second gear teeth, and the plurality of third gear teeth have a helix angle that reduces or eliminates an amount of axial force experienced by the second gear shaft of the gear assembly when in operation. 
     
     
       6. An assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising:
 a gear assembly including a gear assembly housing defining a hollow portion therein, a first gear shaft having a first gear; a second gear shaft having a second gear and a third gear, wherein at least a portion of the second gear is drivingly connected to the first gear and the third gear, at least a portion of the third gear of the gear assembly is drivingly connected to a pair of drive shafts, and wherein the gear assembly is disposed at least partially within the hollow portion of the gear assembly housing; 
 a motor assembly having a motor output shaft that is drivingly connected to at least a portion of the gear assembly; 
 a first mounting assembly including a portion integrally connected to the gear assembly housing and a portion integrally connected to a support member of the motor vehicle; and 
 a gear housing cover wherein at least a portion of the gear housing cover is integrally connected to at least a portion of a first end of the gear assembly housing, and wherein the portion of the first mounting assembly integrally connected the gear assembly housing is connected to the gear housing cover. 
 
     
     
       7. The assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising a modular parking mechanism removably attached to the gear assembly and drivingly connected to the gear assembly. 
     
     
       8. The assembly according to  claim 7 , wherein the parking mechanism comprises a parking gear and a parking pawl selectively engageable with the parking gear;
 wherein at least a portion of the parking gear is connected to at least a portion of the first gear shaft; and 
 wherein the parking pawl is driven into engagement with the parking gear by using an actuation mechanism. 
 
     
     
       9. The assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising a motor stabilizing assembly, wherein at least a portion of the motor stabilizing assembly is integrally connected to at least a portion of the motor assembly and one or more support member of the motor vehicle. 
     
     
       10. The assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the portion of the first mounting assembly connected to the motor assembly is at one end of the motor assembly opposite the gear assembly housing. 
     
     
       11. The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the gear assembly housing is drivingly connected to a differential assembly, wherein the differential assembly is drivingly connected to the pair of drive shafts. 
     
     
       12. An assembly for a vehicle, comprising:
 an axle head assembly comprising:
 a gear assembly housing comprising a hollow portion; 
 a gear assembly positioned at least partially within the hollow portion of the gear assembly housing, the gear assembly comprising:
 a first gear shaft having a first gear; and 
 a second gear shaft having a second gear and a third gear, the second gear engaged with the first gear and the third gear, and the third gear engaged with a differential; 
 
 
 a motor assembly having a motor output shaft engaged with a portion of the gear assembly; 
 the differential driving a pair of drive shafts; and 
 a first mounting assembly including a portion integrally connected to the axle head assembly and a portion integrally connected to one or more support member of the vehicle, and the portion of the first mounting assembly integrally connected to the axle head assembly is connected to a gear housing cover. 
 
     
     
       13. The assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the portion of the first mounting assembly integrally connected to the axle head assembly is connected to the motor assembly. 
     
     
       14. The assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the portion of the first mounting assembly integrally connected to the axle head assembly is connected to a flange portion of the gear assembly housing. 
     
     
       15. The assembly of  claim 12 , further comprising a second mounting assembly connected to the motor assembly and one or more support member of the vehicle, the second mounting assembly positioned parallel to the first mounting assembly. 
     
     
       16. The assembly of  claim 12 , further comprising a second mounting assembly including a first portion integrally connected to the gear assembly housing and a second portion integrally connected to a second support member of the vehicle, wherein the second mounting assembly is positioned on a first end of the gear assembly housing and the first mounting assembly is positioned on a second end of the gear assembly housing opposite the first end. 
     
     
       17. The assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the gear assembly housing comprises an axle mounting flange and a motor mounting flange, the axle mounting flange mates with an axle assembly, and the motor mounting flange mates with the motor assembly, and
 one or more of the third gear and a differential gear passes through an opening within the axle mounting flange. 
 
     
     
       18. The assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the gear assembly housing comprises a third mounting flange opposite the motor mounting flange, and a brake assembly is mounted to the third mounting flange. 
     
     
       19. The assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the brake assembly includes a rotor mounted to the first gear shaft and a caliper selectively engaged with the rotor. 
     
     
       20. The assembly of  claim 17 , wherein two protruding portions extend from the axle mounting flange into the axle assembly and arcuate shapes of the two protruding portions each receive one of the drive shafts.